


Square Peg Don't Fit

by beggar_always



Category: Inception
Genre: Character Study, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-09
Updated: 2011-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-20 06:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/209888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beggar_always/pseuds/beggar_always
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>He's always envied Eames and the way the man blends in so easily wherever he needs to go.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Square Peg Don't Fit

**Author's Note:**

> The other day I heard TV on the Radio's "I Was A Lover" for the first time and I immediately thought, "OMG This song's perfect for Arthur and Eames!" I may try something longer with the song later (I have this whole story in my head...I just need to translate it to paper...), but I decided for now to do a mini version of [my favorite music/fic meme](http://beggar-always.livejournal.com/140490.html) and tried to write a fic only in the length of listening to the song. But, I got distracted...and the song was on loop...so it was actually written in about two song-lengths. Oops.

Way back Before - before the military took him and molded him into a soldier with a streak of perfectionism; before he had to run from that military for the sake of his own life and the lives of at least a half dozen other people - way back then, Arthur was nearly a romantic. Not so much in the way of wine and roses, but in the sense that raw emotion drove him. His teenage years had been hell.

Arthur knew he needed structure long before the military told him as much. He's never been very good fitting in with those around him; has always stood out like a sore thumb, no matter what crowd he's been forced into. He's always envied Eames and the way the man blends in so easily wherever he needs to go. Arthur can't charm his way out of a wet paper bag; the military taught him to shoot his way out, instead. The suits help, later. If he's going to stand out, it might as well be because he looks respectable - people are always more forgiving of those who look respectable.

He blames that envy for his attraction to Eames. Someone with the same training, a similar background, but who knows his way around people so well - Arthur can't help but be drawn to it. People respect him; they're enamored with Eames.

Eames takes interest in him for reasons Arthur cannot begin to comprehend. They dance around each other like they honestly believe it will end up anywhere other than a wrecked hotel room and ruined sheets. It's a disaster waiting to happen and it takes Arthur years to decide he doesn't care. Eames has never kept his location secret from Arthur and Arthur finds him easily, locks them up in Eames' hotel room and finds all that passion he's locked away for over a decade.

They're just killing time and they know it. What began as survival has turned into a career and they both doubt they'll live to see retirement. What they do between jobs keeps them sane - calms Arthur; grounds Eames. Two old military men who find structure in each other.

It's not so bad to tempt fate together.

/end


End file.
